Chelsea or Manchester United May Play Barcelona In Qatar, While Man City Could Head to UAE

Under Barcelona’s sponsorship agreement with Qatar Sports Investments, the Spanish club is being encouraged to play a high-profile friendly in Qatar against a Premier League club. Nothing has been finalized yet. But once the club’s schedules become more clear, a decision will be reached.

A potential match-up between Jose Mourinho, now at Chelsea, and Barcelona would be quite mouthwatering indeed.

Meanwhile, the Manchester Evening News last night reported that Manchester City were being considered to play in a friendly in the UAE in January against Al Ain, to help the club open its brand new stadium. If it happens, the match would be played on January 14 — just two days after City play Newcastle, and four days before City play at home versus Cardiff.

While matches in the Middle East can be quite lucrative for Premier League clubs, the concern is that if the league and FA enact a winter break, then there wouldn’t be much break at all if Premier League football clubs are traveling around the world and playing in friendlies during that time.

About Christopher Harris

Founder and publisher of World Soccer Talk, Christopher Harris is the managing editor of the site. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Guardian and several other publications. Plus he has made appearances on NPR, BBC World, CBC, BBC Five Live, talkSPORT and beIN SPORT.
Harris, who has lived in Florida since 1984, has supported Swansea City since 1979. He's also an expert on soccer in South Florida, and got engaged during half-time of a MLS game.
Harris launched EPL Talk in 2005, which was rebranded as World Soccer Talk in 2013.
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2 Responses to Chelsea or Manchester United May Play Barcelona In Qatar, While Man City Could Head to UAE

Chelsea vs barca looks like impossible,given the rivaly between the clubs down the years in champions league recently 2012 semifinal&2009 semifinal in which both occasionally ends dramatic fashion. I don’t think a chelsea fun will ever forget iniesta last minute equaliser that cruelly denied chelsea the final in rome”2009″. and i don’t think a barca fun w’ll ever forget torres last minute equaliser that crashed out barca and denied a place in the final in munich “2012″. Those two occasions were hard to take by the both sets of funs both of them the better team lost!.